If it hasn't already, basketball will likely soon supplant baseball as this nation's national pastime. The skyrocketing popularity of the National Basketball Association and collegiate basketball is unmatched by other sports, and has led to increased participation in basketball at all levels. As a basketball player's physical skills must be honed through hours and hours of practice, efforts have been directed to providing devices which facilitate a more efficient use of an individual's available practice time.
Heretofore, these devices have taken the form of basketball retrieval and return mechanisms as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,776,550; 4,579,340; 4,678,189; 4,714,248; and 5,060,940. These devices function to, in some form or fashion, return a ball shot at a basketball goal to the player. This allows the player more time to practice shooting skills, rather than chasing down stray balls. However, the devices are limited in their ability to assist a basketball player in sharpening physical skills other than shooting.
It is an object of this invention to advance the field of basketball training aids so that a solitary player may easily practice all aspects of the game.